


don't you know

by fastestmanalive



Series: Barrisco Month 2015 [2]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Implied/Referenced Bullying, M/M, punk!barry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-12
Updated: 2015-12-12
Packaged: 2018-05-05 16:55:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5383133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fastestmanalive/pseuds/fastestmanalive
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Day 12: High School AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	don't you know

**Author's Note:**

> can be seen as a sort of prequel to [Young Soul (Rebel)](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5145842)  
> 

Group project.

Cisco hated those words. It wasn't like he didn't want to do the work – he loved learning new things, loved putting effort into a project he cared about – but... teaming up with someone else? No thanks.

Wells knew, of course. He knew that no one liked these projects, but he kept forcing them on his students anyway. It was his version of telling them who was in charge.

Cisco watched as his classmates began teaming up. Caitlin, who was usually his lab partner, turned around to smile at Ronnie; Cisco sighed when he realised he'd lost her. Of course she'd rather work with a pretty boy than him.

When everyone – with the exception of Cisco – was teamed up, Wells clapped his hands once. “Right, now that's settled...” He cut himself off, frowning. “Where is Mr Allen?”

“Oh no,” Cisco muttered to himself. He hadn't realised that Allen wasn't here. And now he probably had to partner up with him.

“Can anyone tell me where Mr Allen--”

The door flew open as if on cue. “Chill.” Allen smirked and waltzed into the classroom like he owned the place – which, Cisco guessed, was probably true. Everyone was scared of him, even some of the teachers. That didn't seem to bother Wells, though.

“Mr Allen, you're 15 minutes late.”

Allen sat down at the only free desk available – right in front of Cisco. He glared daggers at the punk's blue and pink streaked hair, willing him to leave again.

“Well, did I miss anything?” Cisco heard a few people snigger behind him.

“We've decided on the teams for this semester's science project--”

“So nothing important.” Allen crossed his legs, showing off his bright blue Doc Martens.

Wells was furious by now; if he was a cartoon character, Cisco thought, smoke would be coming out of his ears. “Find your partner, Mr Allen. _Now_.”

Allen grinned and turned to look at the class. Everyone was already at their partner's desk, discussing the project and taking notes and – in Caitlin's and Ronnie's case – whispering and giggling. At last, his eyes landed on Cisco.

“How 'bout it, Ramon?”

Startled, Cisco gaped at the boy. Before he could figure out how he even knew Cisco's name, his mouth was already replying. “What?”

Allen arched his brows. “Unless you wanna work alone. Which I don't think Mr Stick-Up-The-Ass will like. So...?”

“Whatever,” Cisco mumbled and opened his text book, pretending to concentrate on the page and ignore Allen's heated gaze.

 

They agreed to meet in the library after school. Cisco was glad to be on neutral ground; if Allen wanted to beat him up, at least he had the librarian on his side.

To his surprise, though, the other boy was completely focused on their project – in the two hours since they'd been partnered up, he had come up with a concept for a fully functional energy-saving generator for his laptop. Cisco was impressed, to say the least.

“Thought we'd come up with something we're both good at,” Allen mumbled while scribbling some notes on a sheet of paper – calculations, as far as Cisco could tell. “Physics and engineering, you know?”

“How do _you_ know I'm good at engineering?” Cisco hadn't exactly told anyone; he had a hard enough time being a year younger than everyone else, he didn't need them to know how much smarter he was too.

Allen looked up, seeming alarmed for a second but instantly schooling his face into a smug expression. “You're a nerd. You're good at everything.” Cisco decided to let the back-handed comment slide.

They worked diligently for a few hours, until Cisco's eyes burned and his hand cramped. He loved this, the feeling of accomplishment in his every muscle and cell. Allen seemed content with what they'd achieved, too, but he did have one complaint.

“That's gonna be expensive.” He tapped his pencil against his lip ring. “I'm not sure--”

“No problem,” Cisco interrupted. He was a lot less timid now after seeing the other boy so excited about science. “I've got this. I mean. My parents got this. You don't need to worr--”

“It's supposed to be _our_ project, not yours.” Allen's face darkened, a hard frown on his features.

Cisco flinched back. “Of-- of course. I know. I-- We can split the costs? I mean, I just thought--”

“Whatever.” Allen's shoulders sacked; he seemed to physically deflate. “I gotta go.”

“Allen--”

“It's Barry.”

It was quiet, almost inaudible, but Cisco heard it anyway. “You... want me to call you Barry?” he asked quietly, but only received an eye roll in response.

“Whatever, Cisco.” With that, All-- _Barry_ stood and walked away.

 

Over the next weeks, Cisco was more careful around Barry – although he knew that the boy didn't want to hurt him, he was still quick to snap and grumble about small things. Still, they worked together and more or less got along, never getting too personal, never being too friendly. Cisco couldn't say it didn't hurt him a little, but at least Barry did his part of the project and didn't leave him on his own.

It wasn't until right before Christmas that something went wrong with their team-up.

Cisco was waiting in the library at the usual time. It wasn't like Barry to be late; usually he showed up even before Cisco. He tried not to let his nervousness show, busying himself by picking random books off shelves and leafing through them, but he wasn't able to concentrate.

Cisco decided to leave after waiting for an hour. He was... upset, to say the least. Even though he technically knew from the beginning that Barry would do something like this, he'd hoped against good judgement.

But, as soon as he left the school building, he was greeted with an explanation for his partner's absence.

“Hey, I'm so sorry--”

“What the hell happened?” Eyes wide, Cisco rushed to his side, raising his hand but not quite touching Barry's black eye.

Barry gave him a self-deprecating smile. “It's nothin'. We should--”

“It's not nothing.” Cisco frowned. “Are you okay?”

“I'm fine,” Barry muttered. “Let's just do the project.”

Cisco shook his head. “The library's closing in ten minutes.”

Only now that Barry leaned against it, arms crossed, did Cisco notice the motorcycle. “C'mon then.” Barry tossed a heavy black helmet to him. “We'll go to my house.”

“Uhm.” Cisco felt his pulse quicken at the thought of being pressed against Barry's back. “Can't we take the bus?”

Barry snorted and swung his leg over the bike's seat. “I'll be careful.”

Reluctantly, Cisco pulled the helmet over his head. He held his breath when Barry leaned over to help him fix the strap. “But... slow, yeah? It's-- I've never...” He bit his lip, cheeks growing warm.

Barry's hand seemed to linger near Cisco's chin. “Of course,” he mumbled and pulled back, looking a little upset. Or maybe it was just his black eye bothering him.

 

“Cisco, you gotta let go of me now.” Barry's voice was gentle but amused. He pried Cisco's fingers off his jacket – he'd clutched it tightly during the ride – and half-turned around in his seat. “You okay?”

“Y- Yeah.” Cisco chuckled weakly and worked to get the helmet off his head. “I'm fine, I--”

“Let me help.” He pushed past Cisco's hands, carefully loosening the strap on his helmet and pulling it off. “Hey.”

“Hi,” Cisco replied quietly, cheeks flushing as he ducked his head quickly.

They got off the bike, and Barry led him to the front door of a large detached house; Cisco was ashamed to say that he hadn't expected Barry to live in such a nice place.

“Do you want something to drink?” Cisco nodded as he looked around the spacious living room, pulling his jacket off, startled as Barry took it from him and hung it on a hook next to the door.

“So...” Cisco began when they sat down on the soft leather couch. “Where'd you get the shiner?”

Barry huffed and shook his head, a blue strand falling over his eyes. “Doesn't matter. Let's just work--”

“No, it _does_ matter.” Cisco frowned at the boy. “You- You ditched me. What for? To get into a fight?”

“Whoa.” Barry smirked – he reminded Cisco of _before_ again, before they'd been forced to work together and gotten to know each other a bit. “Calm down, man. 'S none of your business what I do.”

“It kind of is.” Cisco fumbled with the hem of his shirt, anxious that Barry would throw him out. “I waited for an hour. Could've done something else.”

Barry snorted, unamused. “Okay, yeah, I did get into a fight. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

“No!” Cisco rushed out. “No, of course not. I just... why?”

“Woodward was talking shit. Had to put him in his place.”

Cisco's frown deepened. “Why would he-- I mean, doesn't he know not to say anything to you, or _about_ you? Didn't you have that big falling out last year?”

Cisco swore that Barry's face blanched, but the boy was already ducking his head. “It wasn't-- He said things... about you.”

Time stood still for a moment. Cisco gaped at Barry's mop of multi-coloured hair, running through several reasons why Barry would do such a thing in his mind. He couldn't come up with a logical solution, didn't know what to respond.

“You are such an idiot,” was what Cisco settled on.

Barry spluttered in reply, which looked ridiculous, Cisco had to admit. “I- I defended you--”

“I didn't ask you to do that.” Cisco couldn't decide if he was annoyed or flattered; he decided that he was mainly confused. “Why _would_ you do that?”

Barry stared at him for 3.4 seconds – Cisco kept track – before he rushed forward, cupping Cisco's cheeks gently but firmly, not enough to prevent him from pulling back – giving him a way out – and kissed him.

Cisco barely had time to close his eyes – the soft pressure of a pair of plump lips on his own, moving gingerly as if not to scare him off, made warmth spread through his chest and right into his cheeks where Barry was holding him – when the other boy already pulled away. While Cisco was trying to come out of his daze, Barry was clearing his throat and busying himself with rummaging through his bag.

“We should... work. Let's work.”

Barry had completely shut down, putting up his walls again; even though Cisco was still reeling, he chose to figure out what the hell just happened another time. “Okay.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Barry has a messed up way of showing Cisco that he likes him smh  
> I'm really tempted to make this a series and add more backstory for both of them, some relationship development... I don't know if I'll have time though :(  
> read on [tumblr](http://rickcosnctt.tumblr.com/post/135062732661/barrisco-month-day-12-high-school-au-title)


End file.
